In local diners and truck stops, drivers talk about this little highway town with a word of warning. Watch your lead foot when driving through, they say. This is a speed trap town. Eolia gained national recognition earlier this month when it was added to a rogue's gallery of speed traps listed on a website, speedtrap.org. That doesn't come as news to many residents, who are furious over a jump in speeding tickets being handed out under the new police chief who took over in November."You can be in Illinois or Iowa, and you mention Eolia, and they say: Oh — the speed trap," said Jerry Burbridge, a trucker who lives in Eolia, about 70 miles northwest of St. Louis.Eolia Police Chief Jerry Sutton said he's just enforcing the law."Safety — it's a big thing with me. I would hate to see one child or one pedestrian get hurt in any way," Sutton said.... http://www.usatoday.com

Thousands of people have fled their homes to escape violence in the north of Central African Republic (CAR). Aid agencies estimate that more than 7,000 refugees have crossed the border into Chad in the past few weeks. A BBC reporter who visited the area says refugees claim government troops are systematically killing men and boys they suspect of backing rebel groups. Central African Republic President Francois Bozize has blamed rebel groups for the unrest. The United Nations refugee agency is struggling to cope with the refugee influx into neighbouring Chad, and is warning the situation could become "catastrophic". About 50,000 more refugees are thought to be hiding in the forest after being forced to flee their villages. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4844664.stm

As thousands of people were expected to protest legislation cracking down on illegal immigrants on Saturday, President Bush said he planned to toughen enforcement of immigration laws."America is a nation of immigrants, and we're also a nation of laws," Bush said in his weekly radio address. "When illegal immigrants know they will be caught and sent home, they will be less likely to break the rules, and our immigration system will be more orderly and secure." The president acknowledged it was an "emotional debate" but continued "America does not have to choose between being a welcoming society and being a lawful society."...http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/25/immigration/index.html?section=cnn_us

29-year-old woman has become the 11th person to die from the virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu in China, state media have reported. The woman, identified only by her surname Li and described as a migrant to Shanghai, died in the city on Tuesday, the Xinhua news agency said. It is the first known case in Shanghai, which has opened 160 monitoring stations at health clinics. Booklets detailing preventative measures have also been handed out. It is not known how the woman contracted the disease. The city government has not said where she was from, or how long she had lived in Shanghai. Bird flu has devastated poultry stocks and killed more than 100 people since late 2003, mostly in Asia. Outbreaks have also recently been reported in Africa and Europe. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4843046.stm

Thousands of protesters in the Thai capital, Bangkok, are gearing up for their final push to oust Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from power. Security agencies have brought in extra police from the provinces to monitor the rally planned for Saturday night. After weeks of demonstrations, protesters say this is their last stand before the Thai elections next weekend. They want Mr Thaksin to resign before the poll on 2 April and have accused him of abuse of power. The protesters have called for the country's revered king to intervene and appoint an interim government. However, Mr Thaksin has given no sign that he is ready to consider his options ahead of the election. On Friday, he warned that Thailand faces a nightmare if protesters refuse to respect the outcome of the poll. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4843924.stm

The head of the US led program to rebuild Iraq said Thur that the Iraqi government can no longer count on US funds and must rely on its own revenues and other foreign aid, particularly from Persian Gulf nations. "The Iraqi government needs to build up its capability to do its own capital budget investment," Daniel Speckhard, director of the US Iraq Reconstruction Management Office, said. The burden of paying for reconstruction poses an extraordinary challenge for a country that needs tens of billions of dollars for repairing its infrastructure at the same time it's struggling to pay its bills. Iraq's deputy finance minister, Kamal Field al-Basri, said it was "reasonable" for the US to sharply cut back its reconstruction efforts after spending about $21 billion. "We should be very much dependent on ourselves," al-Basri said. Anthony Cordesman, a Middle East expert at the Wash based Center for Strategic and International Studies, called the US reconstruction effort "a dismal failure ...http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060324/NEWS06/603240459/1012